The irony about Singapore's conservation efforts is this.
Don't do anything about it and the quaint little pre-war shophouses, dirty characterful alleys and any collection of bricks with some historical significance will be bulldozed to make way for a spanking new shopping complex or office block. Do something about it and often, retaining the fine balance of genuine flavors of years gone by with a touch of practical modernism is rarely achieved with the inevitable arrival of cheesy commercialism, riding on the haunches of heritage renewal.
Its abit like that with old Kampong Glam. At once the epicentre of the Malay Community in Singapore, and a district worth its weight in the Temenggong's gold. But also touted as the next place to see and be seen, a sort of
nouveau Mohamad Sultan Road, with swish Shisha bars and Mint Tea Kebabs straight from Marrakesh.
I had the opportunity to walk about the area before dinner yesterday evening. A quick look around to see if the spirit of those bygone
kampung days still pervaded the air. Not that I have experienced this first-hand myself. And I suppose, there is abit of it still lingering. In the
songkok-ed Muslim men performing their abulutions before prayer at Sultan's Mosque, at the old-fashioned Apocatharies where bespoked perfumes can be mixed and put in pretty bottles straight out of a Genie movie and with the smells of Middle-Eastern tobacco above the smoky notes of Satay that assail your nostrils.
And if you take leisure with an iced Turkish Coffee at one of the many alfresco cafes, its not hard to make-believe that time passes a little slower here, to the hypnotic ponderous rhythm of the Gemilang playing in the distance.
Labels: Places